It may take a while to find a class that suits you, but if you go with friends, it’ll make it easier and more enjoyable.

The benefits of committing to a group class is that you’ll get pushed harder than an average training session on your own.

If you want to be committed to a class then book into 10 classes for a set fee and that will force you to go on a daily basis.

RUN

Although we’re not blessed with long stretches of sunlight in the evening, you can run any time of the day over here.

If you’re eyeing up the Dubai Marathon in January or any event across the calendar year, you should take advantage of the weather as it slowly cools down.

Wherever you live across the UAE, there are plenty of running routes available (check out pick of the best in Abu Dhabi and Dubai).

If you want to take it a bit more seriously, then invest in a sports watch or heart rate monitor which can be linked to many free apps on your IPhone (MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun).

OUTDOOR WORKOUTS

Depending on where you are living around Dubai, there are many outdoor workout stations to train for free, ex: Skydive Dubai, Al Barsha Park, and the Marina.

You don’t need fancy equipment and having simple tools like pull-up bars, dip bars make it easier to put a tough workout together.

If you’re unsure of exercises you can do that require minimal equipment then google circuit workouts.

YOGA

Yoga is incredible popular in the UAE, and this was seen during the Reebok Yoga Fest and Dubai Fitness Fest last year.

It has so many benefits, from reducing the risk to injury to increasing muscle strength and flexibility.

There are lots of yoga classes available and can act as a different form of training if you are doing cardio and other sports.

JOIN A SPORTS TEAM

Being part of a sports club is the best way to keep fit and make friends. Spending one to two evenings a week with a team is a great method of socialising, keeping fit in a fun environment, and most importantly, taking your mind off the stressful demands of the working week.

Whether you’re in a new country or looking for a lifestyle change at home, being part of a team is one of the best ways to boost happiness and stay healthy.

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Learning the benefits of Body Alignment

The field of Sport Massage Therapy (SMT) is an exciting new frontier for fitness and health in the UAE – and leading the charge is Jason Isaac of Body Alignment Dubai. Jason knows the Middle East well as he was born and lived the first ten years of his life in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In 1999 he went to boarding school in the UK and it was here his passion for sports first developed. Rugby, hockey, cricket, rowing, athletics, judo … whatever he could play, he did. Being dyslexic, Jason found his early years at school quite frustrating.

He was always being told off for staring out the window, day dreaming about drills he could practice on the rugby pitch or winning the gold medal in judo at the Olympics.

Unfortunately his love of playing sport was cut short by injuries, which led him to seek out a life changing step, training as a Sports Massage Therapist in London.

“It was the next logical step” says Jason, “as it kept me close to the sports industry. It wasn’t until I started my course with Premier Training International back in 2007 that I realised that I had in fact found my passion.”

After beginning to practice as a therapist the same year, the next step for Jason was to start up his own practice in Dubai in 2016. But why Dubai? “It’s no secret that the fitness industry has been growing at an astonishing rate in the UAE, especially in Dubai” he explains.

“To be honest this made my decision to set up Body Alignment Dubai quite an easy one as I saw all this growth in the fitness industry and noticed the absence of SMT companies.

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“I believe this is due to the lack of awareness and understanding of SMT and the vast variety of benefits it has. Dubai seemed like an ideal location to not only provide the service but to educate the public on the benefits of SMT.”

The name Body Alignment comes from Jason’s overall health and fitness philosophy. “When I started my journey to SMT I learned the vast number of benefits that SMT has on the body,” he explains, “ both psychologically and physically.”

“Although designed to increase the performance of athletes through maintaining optimal muscle functionality and speeding up the rate of recovery, in my eyes SMT is one of the most important proactive forms of injury prevention and it is available to everyone.

“The importance and benefits of SMT are easily applied to which ever sporting discipline you are involved in, from the tri athlete that suffers from lactic acid build up to the CrossFit junky that constantly suffers from DOMS (Delayed On set Muscle Soreness) allowing them to shorten times between training and push that bit harder.

“For me, the importance of SMT boils down to injury prevention which in essence is muscle maintenance. Maintaining optimal muscle functionality and muscle alignment dramatically reduces the risk of injury.”

Jason named the company Body Alignment as he “wanted our Clients to realise the importance of aligning all aspects of their wellbeing in order to have a positive, sustained effect.

“An example of this is working with Clients to implement a program that focuses on SMT treatments that complement their Fitness regime, providing a combination of pre and post workout treatments.

At Body Alignment Dubai we also focus a great deal on muscle alignment to ensure less tensile stress on biomechanical and skeletal aspects allowing the body’s movement to be less constricted.”

At Body Alignment Dubai Jason and his team take an extensive look at each of their clients’ daily lifestyle and fitness programs, providing postural analysis and muscle alignment assessments to be able to provide them with a bespoke, 100% tailor made course of treatments.

Not only this but Body Alignment Dubai can come to you, so you can have your treatment in the comfort of your own home, office, gym or even yacht!

Jason believes that prevention is better than cure and strongly urges anyone that suffers from muscular pain, discomfort or soft tissue damage to pay him a visit.

“Look at the office worker stuck at a desk all day with poor posture and suffering from neck and shoulder pain” says Jason, “not only would SMT greatly reduce their muscular tension, it would increase their range of motion.

Body Alignment Dubai now have a greater diversity of clients as awareness increases: the weekend golfer that is looking to increase his drive, the commuter back and forth to the capital every day with lower back pain, the new mum that is suffering from misalignment and the pre-competition body builder looking to increase muscle definition. They treat them all.

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Home Fitness For Ladies co-founder Kate Broadbridge on providing women with a safe space to exercise with a touch of Arabic hospitality

Home Fitness co-founder, Kate Broadbridge started an exclusive fitness club for women in Abu Dhabi with the single objective of providing a safe and comfortable space that caters to all their fitness needs.

The fitness club - which is just two years ago - is equipped with all the latest facilities to help clients reach their personal and fitness goals, while also being respectful to the Muslim culture.

The club's popularity has risen significantly and has paved the way for a healthier society in the capital.